Multiple cup dispensing machine



Sept. 27, 1955 F. BRODSKY MULTIPLE cup DISPENSING MACHINE Filed April 29, 1953 INVENTOR FQ/M/K BPODJ/O ATTORN EY United States Patent 2,718,981 Patented Sept. 27, 1955 Fine MULTIPLE CUP DISPENSING MACHINE Frank Brodsky, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Kate Brodslry Application April 29, 1953, Serial No. 351,965

4 Claims. (Cl. 221221) This invention relates to a dispensing machine for cups and other containers. It pertains particularly to paper cups suitable for serving individual quantities of marmalade, jams and jellies, relish, mustard, Russian dressing and the like. This, however, is purely illustrative of the various types of containers and other articles to which the invention applies. For example, the present invention is applicable to the small glass jars or bottles which are conventionally served in restaurants and other eating places. But it should clearly be understood that this invention is not limited to the dispensing of food containers, nor is it limited to the dispensing of containers per se. The invention relates to the dispensing of the various types of containers, both empty and filled, packages and articles generally, which are conventionally dispensed in dispensing machines.

The principal object of this invention is the provision of a dispensing machine of the character described which dispenses a plurality of paper cups or other containers or other articles and simultaneously deposits them in spaced relation to each other on a substantially common horizontal plane.

In the illustrated form of the invention, there is a movable and removable cup receiving tray which receives the cups as they drop down from the dispensing mecha nism. In its simplest form, this tray is simply a flat sheet or plate having a plurality of holes formed therein to receive the cups. A single tray may have as many as thirty-six or forty-eight or even more holes formed therein to accommodate a corresponding number of cups. The holes would be arranged in groups or rows of six, each group or row of holes corresponding to the six groups of stacked cups. The tray may be moved to successively register each group or row of holes with the group of cups.

An important feature of this invention is the dipensing mechanism whereby a single cup is dispensed from each of a group of stacked cups, as many individual cups being simultaneously dispensed as there are groups of stacked cups in the dispensing machine. The mechanism involves the use of two pairs of horizontally and vertically spaced shelves which retain the same vertical relationship at all times but are moved inwardly and outwardly on parallel horizontal planes. The cups are provided with peripheralbeads which are adapted to rest upon these shelves prior to the dispensing operation. In the operation of the machine, the beads of the lower- -most cups of the several groups of cups rest upon the shelves. The process is repeated when the two lower shelves move apart to drop the second mentioned cups and the two upper shelves move together to retain the cups which are situated next above the second mentioned cu s.

l'he basic mechanical principle involved in the relative movable shelves which alternately retain and dispense the cups entails the use of a pair of upper and lower spreaders situated at and engaging the ends of the two pairs of shelves. These spreaders are actuated by a common mechanism which alternately forces the upper and lower spreaders into spread or extended operative positions. Spring tension is employed to return the spreaders to their contracted positions and the arrangement is such that as one spreader or pair of spreaders is moved into extended position or positions, the other spreader or pair of spreaders is moved into contracted position or positions.

These shelves perform two important functions in connection with the dispensing of the cups. It willbe understood that among the cups that may be used in connection with this machine are cups which are slightly wedged together when they are nested one within the other. It therefore would become necessary to wedge them apart in order to release one from the other. The shelves which are herein described and claimed are provided with wedge-shaped edges which wedge between the beads of adjacent cups. It is this wedging action which tends to support the cups from each other. Additionally, the shelves tend to rock about their longitudinal axes and it is this rocking movement in combination with the wedg ing action last mentioned that causes the cups to separate one from the other without any diificulty whatsoever. This is true even of cups which are paraflfined and which would normally tend to adhere to each other.

A preferred form of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawing in which: i

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a cup dispensing machine made in accordance with a preferred form of this invention.

Fig. 2 is an end view thereof with parts broken away to expose the working mechanism and showing the lower shelves in cup retaining positions and the upper shelves in cup disengaging positions.

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the lower shelves in cup disengaging positions and the upper shelves in cup engaging positions.

Fig. 4 is a view showing the mechanism for aligning the cup receiving tray with the cup magazines.

The cup dispensing machine 10 shown in the drawing is purely illustrative in both its structural and mechanical component parts. It comprises a base 12 which supports a pair of side frame members 14 and 16 respectively and a pair of track membersls and 20 mounted on said side frame members. These tracks extend in parallel relation to each other on a common horizontal plane and each track consists of a horizontal portion 22 and a vertical portion 24. A cup receiving tray 26 is slidably mounted on horizontal portions 22 of the two tracks and the vertical portions of said tracks serve as guides to prevent lateral dislodgment of said tray. It will be noted that tray 26 is a very simple device consisting of a flat sheet or plate 28 having a plurality of holes 30 formed therein to receive cups 32.

There is also a plurality of smaller holes 34 formed in said tray along at least one side edge thereof for engagement with a spring-urged ball 36 situated in the corresponding track. The spring-urged ball is tensionally engageable with said holes 34 to position the tray with regard to the cup retaining magazines 38.

It has been found that a very practical way of storing the cups in suitable positions for dispensing purposes is simply to set them in magazines 38 which are simply elongated boxes or containers which are adapted to hold a plurality of cups, say a hundred or more. Each magazine 38 may be inserted into a U-shaped receptacle 40 supported by a plate 42 which is secured at its two ends to the two side frame members 14 and 16 respectively. The arms of these U-shaped receptacles may be resiliently disposed for flexing movement into and out of engagement with magazines 38. These U-shaped receptacles may be made of somewhat resilient material so as to enable their respective arms to tensionally grip and hold the magazines between them. In the illustrated form of the invention there are six receptacles 40 adapted to receive six magazines 38 and it will be noted that tray 26 is provided with a plurality of rows of holes 30, each row consisting of six such holes arranged for registration with receptacles 40 and magazines 38. Tray 26 may be moved on tracks 18 and 20 so that each of its several rows of holes is in turn brought into operative positions below said receptacles and said magazines 38.

Slidably supported in horizontal slots 44 and 46 formed in side frame members 14 and 16 are the two pairs of shelves above mentioned. The upper pair of shelves 48 and 50 consists of a pair of L-shaped bars or channels so situated that their vertical flanges 52 project upwardly and their horizontal flanges 54 project laterally inwardly toward each other. The two lower shelves 56 and 58 are so situated that their vertically extending flanges 60 project downwardly and their horizontally extending flanges 62 project laterally inwardly. For convenience the two shelves 48 and 50 will herein be designated the upper shelves and the two shelves 56 and 58 will herein be designated the lower shelves. The upper shelves may rest upon the lower shelves or spacers may be provided to space them from each other. It is important that the facing edges of the horizontal flanges of the upper shelves and the facing edges of the horizontal flanges of the lower shelves be tapered or otherwise formed to engage between the peripheral beads of the nested cups 32 and by the same token it is important that the horizontal flanges of the upper and lower shelves, and more particularly their tapered edges, be spaced from each other a distance corresponding to the spacing of the beads of the nested cups.

The horizontal flanges of the shelves are free to move toward and away from each other in slots 44 and 46 of the side frame members 14 and 16. The vertical flanges of said shelves are themselves vertically notched so as to receive portions of said side frame members within their said notches. These notches in the vertical flanges of the shelves serve two purposes: They provide clearance forthe side frame members so as to enable the shelves to move inwardly and outwardly toward and away from each other; they also serve to engage the side frame members in the sense of preventing axial dislodgment of said shelves relative to said side frame members. It will be noted that expansion or extension springs 64 connect the horizontal flanges of the upper shelves and similar springs 66 connect the horizontal flanges of the lower shelves. These springs act to urge the upper and lower shelves horizontally toward each other.

On each side frame member of the machine is a vertically extending bar 68 which is supported at its lower end by a link 70 which itself is supported at its lower end by a rod 72. It will be noted that this rod 72 has a horizontal portion 74 which extends from one to the other of the two side frame members and is journaled therein. At the ends of this rod portion 74 are laterally bent portions 76 and there are end pieces 78 on said laterally bent portions which are aligned with each other and are parallel to portion 74. It is these end pieces 78 which pivotally engage the lower ends of links 70. Pins 80 pivotally connect the upper ends of link 70 with the lower ends of bars 68 and it will be noted that an extension spring 82 may be connected at its upper end to at least one of the pins 88 and at its lower end to base 12. The action of this spring would be to pull bars 68 downwardly and to pivot rod 72 in clockwise direction as viewed in the drawing. Since rod 72 is connected to the two bars 68 through the two links 70, a single spring 82 would produce this effect. It will be understood, however, that even a single spring 82 is not essential to the practical working of the mechanism herein described and claimed.

A handle 84 is pivotally mounted on side frame member 14 by means of pin or rivet 86 and it will be noted that the inner end of said handle is connected to one of the pins 80. The handle may be worked manually so as to pivot in clockwise or counterclockwise direction about pin 86 in order to lower or raise the two bars 68. Pivotally secured to the upper end of each bar 68 by means of a pin or rivet 88 is a pair of spreader arms 90 and 92 which tend to hang downwardly from said pin or rivet. These two spreader arms extend laterally in opposite directions and their lower ends are shown to be pointed and in engagement with the inner corners formed between the vertical and horizontal flanges of the upper shelves. Intermediate pin 88 and pin 80 of each bar 68 is another pin or rivet 94 which pivotally supports a second or lower pair of spreader arms 96 and 98 respectively. These lower spreader arms are shaped substantially like the upper spreader arms 90 and 92 and their ends are pointed and in engagement with the inner corners formed between the vertical and horizontal flanges of the lower shelves. Lower spreader arms 96 and 98 project laterally outwardly from each other and partly upwardly. Consequently, upward movement of bars .68 would tend to elevate the inner or pivoted ends of said lower spreader arms 96 and 98 and said spreader arms would thereby be caused to spread laterally outwardly to a predetermined extent. The same upward movement of bars 68 would tend to elevate the already elevated inner or pivoted ends of the upper spreader arms 90 and 92 and consequently said upper arms would to that extent tend to contract.

Conversely, downward movement of bars 68 would tend to spread the upper spreader arms apart and to contract the lower spreader arms, this latter action being caused by the contraction of spring 66. As the spreader arms extend laterally outwardly, they cause the shelves which they engage to move laterally outwardly and thereby to disengage the peripheral beads of the cups. As the spreader arms contract or retract their pointed ends laterally inwardly, the shelves which they engage are caused to move laterally inwardly toward each other under the action of the tension springs which engage them. This inward movement of the shelves brings them into engagement with the beads of the cups and enables them to support said cups until it is desired to dispense them.

In the operation of the machine, tray 26 is moved into position below magazines 38 so that the first or front row of holes 30 is in registration with said magazine. Handle 84 is then worked in counter-clockwise direction to move the lower shelves laterally outwardly and thereby to disengage the lowermost cups which drop into said first row of holes 30. At the same time, the upper shelves move inwardly to engage and hold the cups which are next above in line. The tray is then moved one hole 34 forwardly until its second row of holes 30 registers with magazines 38. Handle 84 is then pivoted in clockwise direction to bring the lower shelves closer together and to space the upper shelves farther apart. The cups which are second in line now drop to the lower shelves and are supported by them while the third cups in line drop with them, ready for engagement by the upper shelves. The handle is once again pivoted in counter-clockwise direction to move the lower shelves farther apart and the upper shelves closer together. The 5ond cups in line are now free to drop into the second rowof holes 30 in tray 26 and the third cups in line drop upon and are retained by the upper shelves. The process is repeated'until tray 26 is filled with cups and it may be repeated in. Connection with other trays made in the same manner and used for the same purpose.

It will be understood that the shelves hereinaboyedescribed are loosely mounted in their respective slots. For this reason, and for the reason that they are engaged in ofi-center relation by the spreader arms, they tend to tilt or swivel about their respective longitudinal axes. This tilting or swiveling action tends to separate the nested cups from each other and this is extremely important particularly in cases where the cups tend to stick or adhere to each other as in the case of waxed cups. In addition to this action is the wedging action of the shelves themselves since they are provided with wedge-shaped edges which enter the spaces between the beads of adjacent nested cups. The wiggling or tilting movement of the shelves, in combination with the wedging action of their wedge-shaped edges are sufficient to loosen the cups from each other and to dispense them in the manner above described.

The machine herein claimed may be provided with side casing 100 on each of the two side frame members to enclose the working parts, and particularly the spreader arms, above described. Similarly, a plate 102 may be slidably provided in front of the U-shaped receptacles 40 in order to help retain magazines 38 in place in said receptacles. It will be understood that with plate 102, these receptacles become capable themselves of retaining cups 32 and magazines 38 need not necessarily be used for this purpose.

Referring now to Fig. 4, it will be noticed that another tray setting mechanism may be provided for registering the holes of the tray with the cup magazines. This mechanism includes a bellcrank 120 which is pivotally mounted on pin 122 secured to vertical wall 24 of angle bar 20. The upper end of the bellcrank is provided with a finger 124 which projects backwardly into engagement with one of the shelves, preferably the lower shelves. At its opposite end it is provided with a downwardly extending finger 126 which is adapted to project into holes 34 of the tray. A torsion spring 128 is wound around pin 122 and one end engages the bellcrank and the other end engages the horizontal portion 22 of angle bar 20. V The action of the spring is to urge the bellcrank to pivot in clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 4. When shelf 56 moves leftwardly as viewed in Fig. 3, it causes the bellcrank to pivot in counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 4 and its finger 126 is thereby disengaged from the hole 34 which it had previously occupied. When shelf 56 moves rightwardly to its Fig. 2 position, the bellcrank is freed for movement in clockwise direction so that it may re-engage the cup tray, that is, the next hole 34 in said tray so that the next row of holes 30 will be aligned with the cup magazines.

The foregoing illustrates a preferred form of this invention and it will clearly be understood that this preferred form may be modified and other forms may be provided within the broad spirit of the invention and the broad scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A dispensing machine for containers and the like, comprising a pair of parallel horizontal tracks which are disposed in spaced relation to each other on a common horizontal plane, a pair of parallel horizontal upper shelves which are spaced to receive the containers between them, the ends of said upper shelves being loosely mounted within said tracks to permit said shelves to move horizontally toward and away from each other along said tracks and also to rock about their respective longitudinal axes, a pair of parallel horizontal lower shelves which are also spaced to receive the containers between them, the ends of said lower shelves being also loosely mounted within said tracks to permit said lower other along said tracks and also to rock about their respective longitudinal axes, tension springs connecting the upper shelves and urging them to move toward each other to engage and retain the containers between them, tension springs connecting the lower shelves and urging them to move toward each other to engage and retain the containers between them, spreader arms connected to the upper shelves in offset relation to said shelves and to the springs which connect them, lever means connected to said spreader arms to spread them against said upper shelves in opposition to the action of the springs connecting said upper shelves and thereby to move said upper shelves horizontally away from each other and at the same time to rock said upper shelves about their respective longitudinal axes, thereby causing the upper shelves to free the containers which they had engaged and retained and allowing them to drop upon the lower shelves, additional spreader arms connected to the lower shelves in offset relation to said lower shelves and to the springs connecting them, and means connecting said additional spreader arms to the same lever means which actuates the first mentioned spreader arms, whereby the additional spreader arms are caused to spread against the lower shelves in opposition to the action of the springs connecting said lower shelves, thereby moving the lower shelves horizontally away from each other and at the same time rocking them about their respective longitudinal axes, thereby causing the lower shelves to free the containers which had dropped upon them from the upper shelves and allowing them to drop out of said dispensing machine.

2. A dispensing machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the spreader arms engaging the upper shelves engage said shelves at their lower ends and are pivotally connected to each other at their upper ends, the additional spreader arms which engage the lower shelves being in engagement with said lower shelves at their upper ends and being pivotally connected to each other at their lower ends, said means which connects said additional spreader arms to the same lever means which actuates the upper spreader arms comprising a vertically extending link which is pivotally connected at its upper end to the pivotally connected upper ends of the upper spreader arms, and which is pivotally connected intermediate its ends to the pivotally connected lower ends of said additional spreader arms, said link being pivotally connected at its lower end to said lever means, whereby said lever means may be actuated to thrust the link in upward direction and thereby to spread said additional spreader arms against the lower shelves while relaxing the engagement of the upper spreader arms with the upper shelves, and whereby said lever means may be actuated in the opposite direction to move the link downwardly and thereby to cause the upper spreader arms to spread outwardly against the upper shelves and to relax the engagement of said additional spreader arms with the lower shelves.

3. A dispensing machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein there are two sets of spreader arms, one set at each end of the shelves of the machine, each set consisting of a pair of upper spreader arms which engage the upper shelves and a pair of additional spreader arms which engage the lower shelves, said upper spreader arms and said additional spreader arms being oriented in opposite directions so that when the upper spreader arms are actuated to spread the upper shelves, the additional spreader arms are relaxed in their engagement with the lower shelves, and when the additional spreader arms are actuated to spread the lower shelves, the upper spreader arms relax their engagement with the upper shelves.

4. A dispensing machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein a plurality of container chutes are positioned side by side above and between the upper shelves so as to dispense a plurality of containers simultaneously upon 1,742,371 said upper shelves. 1,85 5,441 2,5 80,257

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 776 9 5 396,674 Vaughn r r.-t w Jan. 22,1889 8021503 1,175,469 Mills Mar. 14, 1916 Lockwood July 29, 1919 8 Simmons Jan. 7, 1930 ,C rouse Apr. 26, 1932 Tacchella Dec. 25, 1951 FOREIGN-PATENTS France of 1935 Germany of 1951 

